Palmer Williams Tabbed First-Team Preseason All-America
6/30/2026 11:35:00 AM | Football
WACO, Texas -- Baylor senior punter Palmer Williams has been named a First-Team Preseason All-America selection by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, it was announced on Tuesday morning.
Williams was one of two punters honored on the first and second team, joining Troy's Evan Crenshaw.
A native of Advance, N.C., Williams is coming off an All-America season as a finalist for the Ray Guy Award in 2025. He helped the Bears lead the nation in net punting (45.0) and was named Big 12 Conference Special Teams Player of the Year by the league's head coaches with a conference-leading 46.92 yards per punt. He booted it 27 times with only 12 punts returned for just 32 yards. He had 11 punts land insde the 20-yard line and seven were fair caught, while 11 went at least 50 yards. He has 39 career 50+ yard punts, the seventh-most in BU history.
Over his career, Williams has 107 punts for a 46.55 yard average, which currently ranks as the tops in program history. His 2024 season was the best punting season in school history, with an school-record average of 49.35 yards per punt on 43 attempts, which ranked tops in the nation among those who punted at least 2.5 times per game.
Baylor opens its 2026 season on Sept. 5 in Atlanta, Ga., at the Aflac Kickoff Game vs. Auburn. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and will be televised live on ABC.
2026 Walter Camp PRESEASON All-America Teams
First Team Offense:
Wide Receiver: Malachi Toney (Miami), Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State)*
Tight End: Trey'Dez Green (LSU)
Offensive Line: Carter Smith (Indiana)#, Trevor Goosby (Texas), Austin Siereveld (Ohio
State), Anthonie Knapp (Notre Dame)
Center; Kade Pieper (Iowa)
Quarterback: Arch Manning (Texas)
Running Back: Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss), Ahmad Hardy (Missouri)*
Placekicker: Tate Sandell (Oklahoma)#
First Team Defense
Defensive Line: Dylan Stewart (South Carolina), Colin Simmons (Texas), Tyrique Tucker
(Indiana), Teitum Tuioti (Oregon)
Linebacker: Xavier Atkins (Auburn), Sammy Brown (Clemson), Rasheem Biles (Texas)
Defensive Back: Kelley Jones (Mississippi State), Leonard Moore (Notre Dame)*, Brandon
Finney, Jr. (Oregon), KJ Bolden (Georgia)
Punter: Palmer Williams (Baylor)
Kick Returner: Da'Realyst Clark (Kent State)
Second Team Offense
Wide Receiver: Cam Coleman (Texas), KJ Duff (Rutgers)
Tight End: Jamari Johnson (Oregon)
Offensive Line: Evan Tengesdahl (Cincinnati), Wendell Moe, Jr. (Tennessee), Jordan Seaton
(LSU), Andrew Sprague (Michigan)
Center: Drew Bobo (Georgia)
Quarterback: Julian Sayin (Ohio State)#
Running Back: Cam Cook (West Virginia), Caleb Hawkins (Oklahoma State)#
Placekicker: Lucas Carneiro (Ole Miss)
Second Team Defense
Defensive Line: A'Mauri Washington (Oregon), Anthony Smith (Minnesota), David Stone
(Oklahoma), John Henry Daley (Michigan)#
Linebacker: Rolijah Hardy (Indiana), Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asu (Notre Dame), Isaiah Jones
(Indiana)
Defensive Back: Bray Hubbard (Alabama), Ellis Robinson IV (Georgia), Marcus Ratcliffe
(Texas A&M), Bryce Fitzgerald (Miami)
Punter: Evan Crenshaw (Troy)
Kick Returner: Chauncy Cobb (Arkansas State)
* - 2025 First Team Walter Camp All-America selection
# - 2025 Second Team Walter Camp All-America selection
Williams was one of two punters honored on the first and second team, joining Troy's Evan Crenshaw.
A native of Advance, N.C., Williams is coming off an All-America season as a finalist for the Ray Guy Award in 2025. He helped the Bears lead the nation in net punting (45.0) and was named Big 12 Conference Special Teams Player of the Year by the league's head coaches with a conference-leading 46.92 yards per punt. He booted it 27 times with only 12 punts returned for just 32 yards. He had 11 punts land insde the 20-yard line and seven were fair caught, while 11 went at least 50 yards. He has 39 career 50+ yard punts, the seventh-most in BU history.
Over his career, Williams has 107 punts for a 46.55 yard average, which currently ranks as the tops in program history. His 2024 season was the best punting season in school history, with an school-record average of 49.35 yards per punt on 43 attempts, which ranked tops in the nation among those who punted at least 2.5 times per game.
Baylor opens its 2026 season on Sept. 5 in Atlanta, Ga., at the Aflac Kickoff Game vs. Auburn. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and will be televised live on ABC.
2026 Walter Camp PRESEASON All-America Teams
First Team Offense:
Wide Receiver: Malachi Toney (Miami), Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State)*
Tight End: Trey'Dez Green (LSU)
Offensive Line: Carter Smith (Indiana)#, Trevor Goosby (Texas), Austin Siereveld (Ohio
State), Anthonie Knapp (Notre Dame)
Center; Kade Pieper (Iowa)
Quarterback: Arch Manning (Texas)
Running Back: Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss), Ahmad Hardy (Missouri)*
Placekicker: Tate Sandell (Oklahoma)#
First Team Defense
Defensive Line: Dylan Stewart (South Carolina), Colin Simmons (Texas), Tyrique Tucker
(Indiana), Teitum Tuioti (Oregon)
Linebacker: Xavier Atkins (Auburn), Sammy Brown (Clemson), Rasheem Biles (Texas)
Defensive Back: Kelley Jones (Mississippi State), Leonard Moore (Notre Dame)*, Brandon
Finney, Jr. (Oregon), KJ Bolden (Georgia)
Punter: Palmer Williams (Baylor)
Kick Returner: Da'Realyst Clark (Kent State)
Second Team Offense
Wide Receiver: Cam Coleman (Texas), KJ Duff (Rutgers)
Tight End: Jamari Johnson (Oregon)
Offensive Line: Evan Tengesdahl (Cincinnati), Wendell Moe, Jr. (Tennessee), Jordan Seaton
(LSU), Andrew Sprague (Michigan)
Center: Drew Bobo (Georgia)
Quarterback: Julian Sayin (Ohio State)#
Running Back: Cam Cook (West Virginia), Caleb Hawkins (Oklahoma State)#
Placekicker: Lucas Carneiro (Ole Miss)
Second Team Defense
Defensive Line: A'Mauri Washington (Oregon), Anthony Smith (Minnesota), David Stone
(Oklahoma), John Henry Daley (Michigan)#
Linebacker: Rolijah Hardy (Indiana), Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asu (Notre Dame), Isaiah Jones
(Indiana)
Defensive Back: Bray Hubbard (Alabama), Ellis Robinson IV (Georgia), Marcus Ratcliffe
(Texas A&M), Bryce Fitzgerald (Miami)
Punter: Evan Crenshaw (Troy)
Kick Returner: Chauncy Cobb (Arkansas State)
* - 2025 First Team Walter Camp All-America selection
# - 2025 Second Team Walter Camp All-America selection
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